Cool Western music bands. Recommended overseas bands that will get you pumped just by listening.
There are foreign bands with irresistibly captivating sounds you can hardly hear in Japan! From powerful, energetic vocals and satisfyingly heavy sound production to dynamic stage performances—there’s no way to sum it all up in a single phrase.
This time, based on reliable feedback from music fans submitted to our site, we researched popular Western bands.
Among them, we carefully selected especially well-regarded rock bands—both classic and contemporary—along with their staple songs.
If that’s your thing, be sure to check it out!
Playlist
| Cool Western music bands. Recommended overseas bands that will get you pumped just by listening. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | Smells like teen spiritNirvana |  play_arrow | The shock since the Sex Pistols, America… |
| 2east | SupersonicOasis |  play_arrow | The UK gave rise to a band from Manchester called The Galla... |
| 3east | Radio Ga-GaQueen |  play_arrow | US #16 in 1984. Lady Gaga’s name… |
| 4east | American IdiotGreen Day |  play_arrow | Reached No. 61 on the U.S. charts in 2004. Peaked at No. 3 in the U.K. The 7th release... |
| 5east | Dream OnAerosmith |  play_arrow | The band that gained the most popularity on the U.S. East Coast and… |
| 6east | Highway to HellAC/DC |  play_arrow | When it comes to iconic Australian bands, ... |
| 7east | Under The BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers |  play_arrow | US No. 2 in 1992. The album “Blood …” |
| 8east | November RainGuns N’ Roses |  play_arrow | It continues to attract a great deal of popularity in Japan as well... |
| 9north_east | Last NiteThe Strokes |  play_arrow | The vibe that rock bands of the ’60s had... |
| 10south_east | High HopesPanic! At The Disco |  play_arrow | Gradually gaining popularity since the 2000s, and now... |
| 11south_east | Immigrant SongLed Zeppelin |  play_arrow | Probably the most frequently heard on Japanese TV and the like... |
| 12east | Comfortably NumbPink Floyd |  play_arrow | Pink Floyd is an innovative rock band |
| 13east | Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division |  play_arrow | Born on the soil of Manchester, England, the legend… |
| 14east | Mr. BrightsideThe Killers |  play_arrow | A rock band from Las Vegas that captivates the world |
| 15east | Hotel CaliforniaThe Eagles |  play_arrow | Eagles, the legendary country rock band |
| 16east | Take Me OutFranz Ferdinand |  play_arrow | A popular dance ... from Glasgow, Scotland |
| 17east | A-PunkVampire Weekend |  play_arrow | An American indie rock band, Vampa... |
| 18east | Sweet DreamsEurythmics |  play_arrow | The innovative musical world of Eurythmics |
| 19east | Livin’ on a PrayerBon Jovi |  play_arrow | Bon Jovi, a world-famous and hugely popular rock band |
| 20east | Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes |  play_arrow | From Jack White and Meg White... |
| 21east | You Really Got MeThe Kinks |  play_arrow | The Kinks’ Innovative Music and Honors |
| 22east | Speed Of SoundColdplay |  play_arrow | Ranked 8th in the U.S. in 2005. The Super Bowl in 2016... |
| 23east | Enter SandmanMetallica |  play_arrow | Pioneers of the genre known as thrash metal, and… |
| 24east | Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Beatles |  play_arrow | The most famous band in the world that everyone knows... |
| 25east | How Deep Is Your LoveBee Gees |  play_arrow | Reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1977. Featured in the film “Saturday Night …” |
| 26north_east | My GenerationThe Who |  play_arrow | A band that greatly influenced Mod culture… |
| 27south_east | Park LifeBlur |  play_arrow | Blur is just so good-looking and cool… |
| 28east | JeremyPearl Jam |  | Eddie Vedder, the vocalist and frontman… |
| 29east | Anarchy in the UKSEX PISTOLS |  play_arrow | The most sensational band in the world and... |
| 30east | ParanoidBlack Sabbath |  play_arrow | Ozzy Osbourne. That's already cool enough... |
| 31east | White RoomCream |  play_arrow | It reached No. 6 in the U.S. in 1968. Former Manfred Mann member… |
| 32east | TragedyHanoi rocks |  play_arrow | Formed in Finland in ’80. Punkish... |
| 33east | BelieverImagine Dragons |  play_arrow | A four-piece rock band from the United States, Imagi... |
| 34east | L’elefante biancoArea |  play_arrow | An astonishing avant‑garde jazz-rock ban… that Italy proudly boasts |
| 35east | Stand In LineImpellitteri |  play_arrow | That fast playing earned the guitarist the nickname “the world’s fastest”... |
| 36north_east | Everything countsDepeche Mode |  play_arrow | A band that can only be described in one word: stylish… |
| 37south_east | Monsters (feat. blackbear)All Time Low |  play_arrow | The American punk band, All Time ... |
| 38east | Just A GirlNo Doubt |  play_arrow | Led by vocalist Gwen Stefani… |
| 39east | Deep Inside My HeartROCK CITY ANGELS |  play_arrow | Only for a brief period before his debut, actor Johnny… |
| 40east | Alive And KickingSimple Minds |  play_arrow | Reached No. 3 in the U.S. in 1985. That same year, the film “Break…” |
| 41east | AtomicBlondie |  play_arrow | Young Debbie Harry captured the hearts of men all over the world... |
| 42east | CreepRadiohead | Leaving a brilliant legacy on the UK music scene… | |
| 43east | BREADFANBUDGIE |  play_arrow | Hailing from Wales in the UK, they even cover Metallica… |
| 44east | Come On EileenDexys Midnight Runners |  play_arrow | An Irish band with worldwide popularity in Celtic music |
| 45east | Hungry like the WolfDuran Duran |  play_arrow | Formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978… |
| 46east | Talk You Out Of ItFlorida Georgia Line |  play_arrow | A country song with strikingly message-driven lyrics... |
| 47east | Blitzkrieg BopRamones |  play_arrow | Formed in New York in the 1970s, La... |
| 48east | CentrefoldThe J. Geils Band |  play_arrow | Formed in ’67 by leader J. Geils, the... |
| 49east | All or NothingSmall Faces |  play_arrow | One of the coolest bands among the mod bands... |
| 50east | StopJane’s Addiction |  play_arrow | Jane's Addiction. Personally, I think... |
| 51north_east | Do You Believe In LoveHuey Lewis & The News |  play_arrow | Reached No. 7 in the U.S. in 1982. The second album by the group... |
| 52north_east | Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)Journey |  play_arrow | J who sparked a revolution in the American rock scene... |
| 53north_east | JoannaKool and The Gang |  play_arrow | No. 1 in the U.S. in 1981. The dance/R&B style is so... |
| 54north_east | Greatful when you =’re deadKula Shaker |  play_arrow | The shock I felt when I first listened to this song is still vivid even now... |
| 55north_east | Bloody ValentineMachine Gun Kelly |  play_arrow | An American rapper, Machine Gun Ke... |
| 56south_east | Shakin’ the bluesScreamin’ Cheetah Wheelies |  play_arrow | True to his Tennessee roots, blues... |
| 57east | White LiesStereophonics |  play_arrow | An alternative rock ba… from Wales |
| 58east | venus in fursVelvet Underground |  play_arrow | Deeply, with profound feeling—ah, how cool... |
| 59east | Bad LiarImagine Dragons |  play_arrow | An alternative ro... from Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 60north_east | Youngblood5 Seconds of Summer |  play_arrow | The band Five, which enjoys strong support from young people, ... |
| 61south_east | The Best (feat. Alice Merton)AWOLNATION |  play_arrow | American rock band, AWOLNATION… |
| 62north_east | When I See You SmileBad English |  play_arrow | US number one in 1989. Journey’s guitari… |
| 63north_east | Gamma RayBirth Control |  play_arrow | A hard [something] featuring a Hammond organ… |
| 64north_east | The FlameCheap Trick |  play_arrow | A figure who sparked a revolution in the American rock scene, … |
| 65south_east | LollipopFive Horse Johnson |  play_arrow | Formed in 1995. At first, they were a typical blues rock… |
| 66east | My NumberFoals |  play_arrow | A danceable rock band from Oxford... |
| 67east | Paradise CityGuns N’ Roses |  play_arrow | Gan..., formed in Los Angeles in 1985 |
| 68east | In the CityJAM |  play_arrow | Paul Weller. In every era, regardless of gender… |
| 69east | Pretend We’re DeadL7 |  play_arrow | A hard rock/metal band composed entirely of female members... |
| 70east | Paradigm TriggerLike Moths To Flames |  play_arrow | A meta ... from Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 71east | NumbLinkin Park |  play_arrow | American rock band, Linkin Park… |
| 72east | (You Can Still) Rock In AmericaNight Ranger |  play_arrow | An American based in San Francisco… |
| 73east | 1901Phoenix |  play_arrow | French rock band Phoenix representing France... |
| 74east | GREENS AND BLUESPixies |  play_arrow | Known as a pioneer of alternative rock... |
| 75east | Suspect DeviceStiff Little Fingers |  play_arrow | Formed in Northern Ireland in 1979, in the late years of punk... |
| 76east | Different WorldsVandenberg |  play_arrow | An unforgettable classic from the Netherlands that emerged in the '80s... |
| 77east | Feel Good Hit Of The SummerQueen Of The Stone Age |  play_arrow | Frontman, Josh Homme. This guy is… |
| 78north_east | 1789Silver Mountain |  play_arrow | From Sweden. As soon as it was introduced in Japan, the Nordic... |
| 79north_east | Lust For LifeIggy Pop |  play_arrow | Shining in music history as a pioneer of punk rock... |
| 80north_east | Supermassive Black HoleMuse | The renowned British rock band, Muse, is o... | |
| 81north_east | PoisonAlice Cooper |  play_arrow | An American known as the priest of shock rock… |
| 82south_east | Election DayArcadia |  play_arrow | Reached No. 6 in the U.S. in 1985. Duran Duran’s… |
| 83north_east | ArabellaArctic Monkeys |  play_arrow | An indie act from Sheffield, UK… |
| 84north_east | Only Time Will TellASIA |  play_arrow | Reached No. 17 in the U.S. in 1982. John Wetton… |
| 85south_east | Shes a Wrong WomanBacon Fat |  play_arrow | Black blues harpist, George Smith... |
| 86east | Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?CHICAGO |  play_arrow | Reached No. 7 on the U.S. charts in 1971. From the 1st album “Tr…” |
| 87east | Suzie QCreedence Clearwater Revival |  play_arrow | It reached No. 11 on the U.S. charts in 1968. “The maestro who peaked at No. 2 in the U.S.”… |
| 88east | Highway StarDeep Purple |  play_arrow | Deep..., formed in the UK in 1968, |
| 89east | Pull Me UnderDream Theater |  play_arrow | A progressive metal band from the United States... |
| 90east | Girls on filmDuran Duran |  play_arrow | Duran Duran are neo-romanti... |
| 91east | Do it CleanEcho & the Bunnymen |  play_arrow | Even now when I think about it, it’s so cool it gives me the shivers… |
| 92east | Army LifeExploited |  play_arrow | A punk band formed in Scotland. … |
| 93east | More Than WordsExtreme |  play_arrow | The American rock band Extreme is... |
| 94east | Fourth of JulyGalaxie 500 |  play_arrow | An American alternative rock band, … |
| 95east | I was made for lovin’ youKISS |  play_arrow | When I hear the word 'kiss,' the first thing that comes to mind is that... |
| 96east | Ride The SkyLucifer’s Friend |  play_arrow | Formed in ’70. In Germany, a hard rock… |
| 97east | ToccataMEKONG DELTA |  play_arrow | Music engineer Ralph Hubert... |
| 98east | Dr. FeelgoodMötley Crüe |  play_arrow | It was a hit in Los Angeles, USA, in the 1980s... |
| 99east | To Be With YouMr. BIG |  play_arrow | Formed in Los Angeles, USA, in 1988... |
| 100east | Hair of the DogNazareth |  play_arrow | Formed in Scotland. Debuted in 1971. A... |
| 101east | Death DiscoPublic Image Ltd |  play_arrow | Pa..., a representative of the UK post-punk scene |
| 102east | SatisfactionRolling Stone |  play_arrow | Formed in London, England, in 1962… |
| 103east | The Big MoneyRush |  play_arrow | No. 45 on the US charts in 1985. Led Zeppel— |
| 104east | Vocal ID of Love In ASiouxsie And The Banshees |  play_arrow | A British female punk singer. Sex... |
| 105east | UnsaintedSlipknot |  play_arrow | The man from the world’s most famous heavy metal band... |
| 106east | I am OneThe Smashing Pumpkins |  play_arrow | Smashing Pumpkins are undeniably cool. This song is the first... |
| 107east | AbracadabraSteve Miller Band |  play_arrow | Number 1 in the U.S. in 1982. The illustration on the jacket... |
| 108east | SusiStormbringer |  play_arrow | Featuring the virtuoso guitarist, Angie Scirillo… |
| 109east | Since YesterdayStrawberry Switchblade |  play_arrow | Right now, to the young girls dressed in Gothic Lolita style... |
| 110east | Runaway BoysStray cats |  play_arrow | Reached No. 9 on the UK chart in 1981. The Japanese title is “Namida no Runaway…” |
| 111east | BabeStyx |  play_arrow | Number one in the U.S. in 1979. Chuck Panozzo… |
| 112east | AlrightSupergrass |  play_arrow | Rock bands like Oasis from the 1990s... |
| 113east | Hold The LineTOTO |  play_arrow | US #5 in 1979, 1st album “Space…" |
| 114east | I`m Going HomeTen Years After |  play_arrow | A leading figure in British blues rock. The name is '10... |
| 115east | Sixty Eight GunsThe Alarm |  play_arrow | Debuted in '83. The boom had already ended at the time... |
| 116east | The WeightThe Band |  play_arrow | It reached No. 63 on the U.S. charts in 1968. It was originally titled “I …” |
| 117east | Lo/HiThe Black Keys |  play_arrow | The American rock band, The Black ... |
| 118east | Hanging GardenThe Cure |  play_arrow | The core of The Cure—who could be called the bosses of goth—Robert... |
| 119east | Town Called MaliceThe Jam |  play_arrow | The pride of Britain, the rock band The Jam, is... |
| 120east | There she goesThe La’s |  play_arrow | Lars, who is from Liverpool, England. They—or rather... |
| 121east | Some Like It HotThe Power Station |  play_arrow | Reached No. 6 in the U.S. in 1985. Duran Duran’s… |
| 122east | Jumpin’ Jack FlashThe Rolling Stones |  play_arrow | US No. 3 in 1968. In tribute to the Stones… |
| 123east | Typical GirlsThe Slits |  play_arrow | Formed in the UK in 1976, The S... |
| 124east | This Charming ManThe Smiths |  play_arrow | An early (2nd single) track with a UK indie vibe… |
| 125east | Love SpreadsThe Stone Roses |  play_arrow | From the late 1980s to the early 1990s... |
| 126east | Let’s Dance to Joy DivisionThe Wombats |  play_arrow | The British, English rock band, The... |
| 127east | Handle With CareTraveling Wilburys |  play_arrow | Reached No. 45 on the U.S. charts in 1988. Debut album… |
| 128east | Changing of the SeasonsTwo Door Cinema Club |  play_arrow | Recent British rock bands are, you know... |
| 129east | War GameTyburn Tall |  play_arrow | A hard rock band that debuted in 1972 with a self-produced record... |
| 130east | (Oh) Pretty WomanVan Halen |  play_arrow | Reached No. 12 in the U.S. in 1982. Eddie (guitar) and… |
| 131east | Heads Will RollYeah Yeah Yeahs |  play_arrow | An American rock [act] that began making waves in the 2000s… |
| 132east | MörderFreygang |  play_arrow | An East German blues rock band. In the communist bloc… |
| 133east | To Hell With PovertyGang Of Four |  play_arrow | Revolutionizing the UK's post-punk scene... |
| 134east | Destroy the illusionsPack |  play_arrow | One of Germany’s earliest punk bands—and one of the very best. |
| 135east | Wild FlowerThe Cult |  play_arrow | Until then, they had been recognized as an alternative punk band... |
| 136east | Train Kept a Rollin’The Yardbirds |  play_arrow | The Yardbirds were in London in 1963... |
| 137east | If I Had No LootTony Toni Tone |  play_arrow | US No. 7 in 1993. Their third album… |
| 138east | No Sleep Till BrooklynBeastie Boys |  play_arrow | Established rap rock from punk |
| 139east | Coming Down To BeijingBrain Failure |  play_arrow | A Chinese punk band formed in Beijing in ’97... |
| 140east | DreamsFleetwood Mac |  play_arrow | Number 1 in the U.S. in 1978. From the album “Rumou…”. |
| 141east | Golden SkansKlaxons |  play_arrow | As the catalyst that ignited the new rave boom, the scene... |
| 142east | SoonMy Bloody Valentine |  play_arrow | My Bloody Valentine, arguably the bosses of shoegaze, ... |
| 143east | Vietnamese BabyNew York Dolls |  play_arrow | Androgynous cross-dressing fashion and extreme remarks/behavior are beco… |
| 144east | Where Have All The Boot Boys GoneSlaughter & The Dogs |  play_arrow | From Manchester. A biting kind of vocal… |
| 145east | Never UnderstandThe Jesus and Mary Chain |  play_arrow | Young, like a mischievous kid who just grew up as-is... |
| 146east | RoxanneThe Police |  play_arrow | It reached No. 32 in the U.S. in 1978. From the early days of The Police... |
| 147east | Where The Streets Have No NameU2 |  play_arrow | The world-famous rock band from Ireland, U… |
| 148east | AmandaBoston |  play_arrow | Reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1986. The face of the band with his guitar, … |
| 149east | Hold Me NowThompson Twins |  play_arrow | Peaked at No. 3 in the U.S. in 1984. An ’80s new wave... |
| 150east | mOBSCENEMarilin Manson |  play_arrow | Marilyn Manson’s appeal and signature works |
| 151east | Common PeoplePulp |  play_arrow | Jarvis Cocker was so cool... |